Envelop.



No. 670,882. Patented Mar. 26,; l90l.

.l. KELLER & R. TITSWORTH.

E N V E L 0 P;

(Application filed Jan. 25, 1901.;

(No Model.)

NH fneoaca:

m: nonms Peru" cu. mum-undo. wumumon. u. c.

JOHN KELLER AND RICHARD TITSWORTH, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

ENVELO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,882, dated March 26, 1901.

Application filed January 25, 1901. Serial No. 44,755. (No model.)

munications, missives, and such matter as is "usually transmitted through the mails, the

purpose being greater privacy and safety, ready detection of unwarranted liberty with the comm unication,and to enable the envelop to be readily opened by the recipient.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquirea knowledge of thedetails of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification,still the preferred em bodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the envelop is formed. Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the blank partly folded. Fig.3 is a perspective view of the envelop folded and sealed. Fig. at is a transverse section about on the line X X of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The blank from which the envelop is formed comprises the front 1, back 2, end flaps 3 and t, and the closing-flap 5, the end flaps being adapted to fold upon the front, the back 2 upon the end flaps, and the closing-flap 5 over the front, as indicated most clearlyin Fig. 3. The back 2 has its end portions indented, as shown at-6, and the parts bordering upon the indentations or V-shaped spaces 6 are connected by a neck portion 7, which overlies the overlapped terminals of the flaps 3 and 4 when the blank is folded. The indentations or spaces 6 conform approximately to the outline of the end flaps 3 and 4 and are of less size, so as to provide marginal portions to overlap the edges of the said end flaps to which they are gummed or joined by mudlage or kindred cementing composition. By having the back 2 indented at its ends, as shown at 6, a minimum amount of material may be employed in the construction of the envelop and the difficulty of opening the same is increased. By having the back 2 fold upon the end flaps an envelop of neat appearance is provided,and it is difficult to open the same by steaming or other ways usually resorted to by unscrupulous parties for opening com- 111 unications, thereby providing a greater safeguard and discouraging the nefarious practice of prying into communications of a private or business nature.

The closing-flap 5 is provided at one end with a tongue 8, gummed at its extremity upon the reverse side to the gum med or sealing edge. This tongue 8 is adapted to pass through a slit 9, formed in the front 1 adjacent to the corner thereof. The slit 9 and tongue 8 are located at the upper right-hand corner of the envelop and in correct position to receive the stamp 10, by means of which the security of the envelop is increased. When sealing the envelop after the communication has been placed therein, the closingflap 5 is folded overthe open edge and upon the front 1 and is caused to adhere thereto by moistening the gummed edge. The terminal of the tongue 8 has the gum applied thereto moistened, after which the free end portion of the tongue is thrust through the slit 9 and becomes gummed to the front upon the inner side, thereby preventing tampering with the contents of the package. After the stamp has been placed in position the joint is rendered doubly secure and opening of the envelop without detection almost or entirely prevented.

One of the end flaps, as 3, is provided in its extremity with parallel slits 11, which flare at their outer ends to facilitate the entrance thereinto of the opening cord or strand 12. An end portion of this cord or strand 12 is doubled upon itself and forced into the slits 11, after which the cord or strand is passed along an edge portion of the flap 3.to a corner of the front 1, thence along the fold between said front and the back 2. A retaining-flap 13 is provided at the inner edge of the flap 3, adjacent to the corner of the front 1, and folds over the cord or strand 12 at this point, so as to retain the cord in the fold between the parts land 2. The cord is of sufficient length to leave a small portion project at the opposite corner of the envelop, as shown -at 12*, to be grasped'when it is required to open the envelop. The extremity of the cord or strand 12 adjacent the slits 11 underlies the main portion of the cord and is cemented thereto and to the fiap 3 by a small portion of gum or kindred cementing substance. When the blank from which the envelop is formed is folded, the end portion of the strand or cord 12 adjacent the flap 3 is confined between the latter and the overlapping gumined portion of the back 2, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is-- An envelop comprising a front having end flaps and having slits in the outer terminal portion of one of the flaps and having a retaining-flap at the inner edge of the slitted flap adjacent the corner of the envelop, in combination with an opening cord or strand having an end portion fitted into the slits of the end flap and confined at one corner of the envelop by the aforementioned retaining-flap and projecting a short distance from the opposite corner of the envelop to be grasped when it is required to open the envelop, sub- L. S. i -i 

